


Love and other sicknesses

by PhantomCree



Series: Alternus [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternus, Domestic Fluff, Drama and Angst, Humanstuck, Kankri just overthinks too much, M/M, POV Kankri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2019-02-09 00:05:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12875952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomCree/pseuds/PhantomCree
Summary: When Cronus doesn't show up for class Kankri does the opposite of what heshouldn'tdo.Overthink.





	Love and other sicknesses

It was the beginning of a new week at school, although Kankri found himself in a mix of emotions. The past week had been pretty rough. For some strange, inexplicable reason, Cronus had begun to mirror the same type of bully his parents had described his father being at his age, according to the stories his parents told him about his uncle. It wasn’t like Cronus was doing any sort of acting practice for his audition for the upcoming play- at least none that he was informed of beforehand; he was just being downright mean to him. And Kankri couldn’t understand why. He tried texting him this past weekend, asking him if he was alright and telling him that he was available to talk whenever he was ready, but he didn’t get a reply.

A part of him was hoping Cronus would be back to the way he was, before last week. Usually it would be that he’d show up at his locker in the morning to make small talk, standing near enough so Kankri could smell his cologne while he asked him about his weekend or what his plans were. To add to that, he’d flash him a charming smile as he laid on the smooth flirting that almost never failed to get Kankri's heart to flutter and make him a little nervous, although Kankri always pretended not to be affected by it as Cronus was a notorious flirt; not to mention his reputation around school was that he's slept with every girl and then some. It was his choice, of course, but still...a part of him had the tiniest wish that perhaps maybe they could be a little closer than just friends. But his better judgment told him to not ruin their friendship by becoming another number on Cronus' romantic partners list if things didn't work out between them. He was just fine with how things were going between them now. No sense in getting caught up in a fantasy.

Kankri sighed as he closed his locker door, his books neatly tucked in his arm, feeling his heart drop as Cronus wasn't there like he was hoping. He never realized how much he’d actually miss him. To be fair, he was expecting a little too much after what happened last week. If only he responded to his text or passed a message along to one of his siblings to let him know how he was doing- something -maybe then it would quell his anxiety a little.

“That was quite the sigh there,” he heard a voice tell him.

He turned to see Porrim drawing near and offering him a sympathetic smile. He knew she could see the look of worry on his face as she had an uncanny perception of anyone’s body language. Porrim opened her arms to him and pulled him into a warm embrace, to which he did his best to reciprocate as he didn’t want to drop his books on her new heels.

“Hey Porrim,” Kankri said as he felt a mild relief sweep over him with her here. He knew he was capable of confiding in her no matter the circumstance, so she knew everything about what had been going on between him and Cronus.

“Kanny, you look troubled,” she said as she held him at arms length, knitting her brows. “Has _he_ been bothering you again?”

“No, he hasn’t been bothering me,” Kankri admitted. At least, he hasn’t been bothering him in the way she thinks he would be. “I am concerned about him, however. I gave him time like you said and I sent him a text this weekend, but I haven’t gotten a reply.”

“Well, don’t let it eat at you too much. You know how he is,” Porrim said and reached out to fix a lock of his hair that was out of place as he fidgeted with the frayed corner of the textbook in his arm. “He’s probably fine.”

“Yes, he may seem fine on the outside, but deep down he’s prone to self-destructive thoughts, which eventually become destructive behavior, when it becomes too difficult for him to ask for help,” he told her. He has already helped him out of a bad situation once, and that wasn’t all that long ago.

Porrim shifted her weight to her other leg as she listened. “You’ve known Cronus a lot longer than I have,” she said, not to mention Kankri probably had more insight on who he is than she did as she, on more than one occasion, had been his friend with benefits, “so the only advice I can give is that if you’re this worried about him, then follow what your gut is telling you. That whole episode last week could very well be that cry for help again, you know.”

Kankri blinked in thought. She could be right. Cronus’ sudden change in mood could definitely mean that something was wrong. He only hoped it wasn’t something serious that he was trying to hide from him. But as his Pops said: Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

Porrim touched his arm, bringing him back to reality before he went too deep into thought, and offered him a kind smile. “Don’t overthink this one Kanny,” she told him.

“You’re right, I’ll try not to,” he replied with a returned smile. “I will see about going to check up on him after school.”

“I wish you luck,” she said as she brought him in for another hug.

“I might just need it,” he agreed upon being released from her embrace.

They soon parted ways, bidding each other goodbye until they’d meet again during lunch, and made the trek to the first class of the day before the 8 o'clock bell rang and officially began the school day.

Kankri got settled into his desk and prepared to take notes, but try as he might, he couldn’t keep his mind from wandering. He was worried about how he should proceed with paying Cronus a visit. It was pretty obvious what he should do and he shouldn’t overthink it too much but impressions were important after what happened last week. He wasn’t upset because of what happened, he was more concerned as to why Cronus was so mean. To be fair, Kankri had been a little short with him on more than one occasion a few weeks ago as he had shown up at the wrong times while Kankri had been very busy. Perhaps that was a contributing factor. Thinking back on it, he could have handled it a little better than he did. He should have taken a moment to listen as it might have helped prevent this situation from happening. But he wouldn’t know for sure until he actually had the chance to talk to him. No sense in getting worked up about it when he didn’t know the other half of the story.

If there was one thing he knew for certain it was that today was going to be a very long day.

\- - -

The bell rang for the beginning of the final period of the day to commence. It was technically the end of Kankri’s day as he was fortunate enough to not have a class scheduled during this block, so he was free to leave whenever he pleased. However, he usually opted to stick around, namely in the library to get a head start on his homework. Sometimes he would come to find Cronus under the excuse of he was going to the bathroom, but Kankri knew that he was just skipping class. It was a bad habit of Cronus’ ever since junior high, and it only got worse up until the beginning of this school year. However, upon leaving the group of delinquents that he used to hang out with, he has been putting a bit more effort and interest into his academics. Still, there was some habits that needed some time to work on. And communication happened to be on that list as well.

Kankri set his shoulder bag on the floor beside his feet as he settled into his usual quiet place of study, although his mind was anything but quiet at the moment. He had sent Cronus another text to inform him of his eventual arrival this afternoon during lunch today, but of course, it had gone unanswered just as the previous one had. He had done just the opposite of what Porrim suggest he do: not overthink. However hard he tried, he simply could not focus on anything else as his worries had been eating away at him all day long and trying to force himself into his studies would be fruitless.

He hefted his bag over his shoulder upon standing up and checked his phone out of habit, finding a few messages from his brothers, but none from the person he was concerned about, much to his dismay. With a quiet sigh, he tucked his phone back into his pocket and made the journey out to his car. The sooner the better, he told himself as he got behind the wheel of his car, taking in a slow, deep breath to calm his nerves.

Kankri began to wonder why he was so worked up about this meeting. It was just him going to check up on his friend. It was as simple as that; he’s already told himself that it was useless getting caught up in a romantic fantasy that could never be. Besides, he didn’t think he was Cronus’ type anyways. Why he was thinking about this now of all times was beyond him. He should just stop overthinking before he said the wrong thing when the time for words came. He turned on the radio hoping it would help distract him from his conflicting thoughts. He had all day to prepare himself, right now he just had to focus on getting to his destination safely.

The estate was nestled in a quiet woods some five miles out of town, by the way of backroads. The paved driveway looped around to the front and a rather large four car garage which was attached to the equally as grand house. It was a mansion actually, however it was really homey looking on the outside with a wooden wrap-around porch, a pleasant presentation of stone and wood siding, and a well kept landscape. Kankri parked his car beside the drive to the garage and let out a sigh of relief upon pulling the key out of the ignition. The drive here felt much longer than it usually was.

He tucked his keys into his pocket upon getting out of his car, double checking the other to make sure he hadn’t misplaced his phone on the drive here. He soon found himself traversing the cobblestone walkway up to the porch and a rather brisk breeze rustled the leaves above making his trek a little faster. He reached out to ring the doorbell and stood there for a moment, adjusting the collar of his sweater out of nervousness, but mostly to keep the cold from nipping at his neck.

After what felt like an hour of waiting in the chill of the wind, Kankri heard no signs of movement within the abode. The thought crossed his mind that it was possible that no one was home right now. He tried the doorbell once more and counted to thirty, mostly to calm his own nerves that refused to cease their torment. It seemed like his feeling was correct, no one was indeed home. Just when he was about to give up, he glanced at the idle doorknob and had the sudden urge to open it. He held his breath, as if it somehow would increase the chance of something going right today, just this once, as he reached out to try the door handle.

Much to his delight, the knob turned and granted him access to the home and relief from the chilling wind. But his delight was soon turned to suspicion as he stood there for a moment. He couldn’t hear anything nor did he see signs of anyone. No one was here, but the door was unlocked?

“Hello?” Kankri announced his presence as he ventured farther into the house, hoping to find someone who actually lived here and not some burglar.

Surely the Amporas are not forgetful people who would leave their front door unlocked when they were gone. Nothing seemed to be out of place as he entered the kitchen area, so that was a good sign. Then again, this place almost never looked like it was lived in as everything was so neat and tidy, even with a seven year old running around. Their housekeeper did a great job, that was for sure. Still, the fact that he was standing here was perplexing. He’s read a few mystery novels that have ended up like this… His mind was just overreacting now.

An unexpected noise caught him off guard, making him jump and sending his heart rate skyrocketing. After calming down for a second he realized what he had heard sounded like coughing and it came from upstairs. He retraced his steps, making it back to the front entryway where the stairs started. He paused for a moment after ascending the few steps to the bottom landing, hoping that noise would repeat itself to confirm he wasn’t just hearing things, although the only thing he could hear was his heart as it was still pounding after being startled.

One agonizing minute later, it was confirmed that it wasn’t his imagination at all. What he had heard was indeed a cough, a very bad one at that. He ventured up the stairs in the direction he thought they would be, glancing in every room with the door left wide open as he passed, looking for signs of people and not trying to be a snoop.

Kankri found himself before the door to Cronus’ room, it was left slightly ajar, but he cautiously pushed it open to check anyways. Much to his relief, he found him lying there on his bed, bundled up in his duvet. All the irrational worries and fears he collected over the course of the day suddenly cleared out of his mind and he could start to make sense of things. He gently rapped on the door to announce his presence before he entered the room.

It took Cronus some time before he stirred, turning to see Kankri of all people standing there in his doorway. Although his body was aching too much to stay in that position for long before he opted to lay flat on his back.

“What are you doin’ here?” He asked, his voice weak and hoarse from all the coughing he has done.

“I came to check up on you,” Kankri replied as he neared his bedside. “I tried to get ahold of you through texts, but you never responded. Naturally one would worry after something like that, so I came to check up on you. The front door was unlocked as well and I thought someone had broken in.”

“Oh… Forgot to lock the door, I guess,” Cronus muttered and rubbed his forehead. “Mind’s been fuzzy. Since before I got this cold, even. Phone’s outta commission too. Sorry Chief…” He managed to get his apology out before he was stricken by a coughing fit, using the duvet to cover it.

Kankri couldn’t help but to smile a little, still immensely relieved even though Cronus wasn’t exactly in the best shape right now. His mind had pictured something much worse than just him having a cold.

“Have you taken anything for it?” He asked only to see him shake his head in reply as he fought to catch his breath.

He told him he would be right back before he left his room. His aunt was a nurse, so she kept a well-stocked medicine cabinet in the master bathroom, which was still quite the trek from Cronus’ room. He hoped he could find some sort of cold relief or decongestants, or pain killers at least. He had his fair share of sicknesses when he was younger, but nowadays his immune system was stronger, he couldn’t remember the last time he was actually sick.

After a few minutes, he had found his way into the pristine and spacious bathroom- even more spacious than his parents’ -which was decorated with various sea and sailor prints. It tied in with the adjacent master bedroom and the overall theme of the house. He knew exactly where to look for these things as his aunt had showed him where and how she kept things organized when it came to medicines, so he was able to find what he was looking for relatively quickly. He filled a little disposable cup with water before leaving to administer it to the “patient”.

Cronus had moved to an upright position, laying back against a stack of pillows behind his aching back. At least now he could breathe a little better. He adjusted the duvet around his shoulders as the door opened and Kankri entered.

“Thanks Chief…” He said hoarsely, reaching out to accept the potential for relief without hesitation.

“So where is everyone?” Kankri asked him as he took a seat on the edge of his bed while the other had emptied his cup and set it aside on the nightstand.

“Pa went on a business trip. All expenses paid, to Florida, right? So they left me here, which is fine, I needed the alone time. But then I got sick the day after and been like this since,” Cronus replied and sighed. “They wanted to get away from me and I don’t blame ‘em.”

Kankri knew all too well what he meant, but he was building up to that point. “So what happened to your phone then?”

“Outta commission, like I said. Dropped it in the damn parkin’ lot at the airport and some douche ran it over with their car,” he said bitterly. “I mean, I’ve been wantin’ a new one, but the asshole didn’t even stop to apologize or nothin’. Just kept on goin’.”

“I’m sorry about your phone,” Kankri said. It now made sense as to why he hadn’t receive any replies from him.

“Shit happens…” Cronus muttered and sniffled, pulling the duvet closer to himself. “Just like the shit that brought you here, eh?”

“Well, yes… I did want to talk to you about that,” Kankri said, trying to recall how he wanted to go about that particular subject.

“You were worryin’ about me even after all I did?”

“Of course. We’re friends after all, right?” Kankri said in a gentle tone. “Just so you know, I’m not upset with you, I just want to know what happened.”

Cronus groaned as the whole situation had been eating at him since the start of the weekend and now he was brought back to dwell on it. Suffering through this sickness he had now was what he probably deserved.

“How can you not be upset? I treated you like garbage Kan, yet you still wanna call me a friend?” He asked him.

“Yes, I still want to and I _will_. I care about you,” Kankri told him, “and I just want to know what triggered your sudden change of mood. You became a bully all of a sudden, towards me specifically. Did I do or say something to upset you?”

Cronus pulled the duvet closer to his face, turning away from the other’s gaze which he simply was not worthy of. He couldn’t just come out and tell him the truth, that he was the primary reason but not the _real_ reason behind his meanstreak. It was much more complicated and couldn’t be summarized so simply. It only frustrated him and fueled his bitterness.

“Why would you care about a good for nothin’ like me?” He asked him. “Why don’t you go about your own business just like everyone else and leave me alone, huh? It’s not like the world would care if I died…”

Kankri was unsurprised by him not answering his question and shunning his help, but hearing him utter those last few words wounded him more than anything anyone has ever said to him. He found himself unable to speak as his voice was caught in his throat; so many thoughts came flooding back into his mind as he scrambled to find the right words to say.

The heavy silence was broken by Cronus being seized by another coughing fit which he tried to stifle with the duvet. He sighed upon catching his breath, his throat burned, his head was pounding, his chest and body ached and he felt like death. Kankri’s presence wasn’t making him feel any better. In fact, it was only making his guilt heavier, further crushing his already struggling airways, and he simply didn’t have the energy to deal with this right now. He glanced over to see Kankri and the heartache was evident in his eyes. That look alone was enough to make his own heart drop.

“I would care…” Kankri finally spoke, earnestly, though faltering.

Cronus felt the regret take a firm hold of him. All Kankri ever wanted to do was to help him and here he was pushing him away, only thinking about himself and how frustrated he was with how poorly he treated him. He never once considered how Kankri felt right now; getting no reply or any sort of contact after what happened, and coming all the way here looking for answers only to be told that death was preferable to talking to him about the elephant in the room. He was further hurting the one person on this planet who genuinely cared about him.

He desperately wanted to take it all back, what he said now and everything that happened last week. He wanted to tell him that it was all his fault. That he was sorry. But he knew that no amount of apologies would ever make up for his wrongdoings or having to see Kankri like this now, blinking back tears and swallowing back so many words. Oh man he felt like such an ass...

Kankri found it nearly impossible to speak as his nerves had finally gotten the best of him in this long, trying silence. He was doing his best to not let it show too much, at least he hoped. He understood that Cronus was just in a bad mood because he was sick and was still dwelling on what happened the previous week. Even so, a part of him was upset to hear Cronus talk like that. It was the same part that held him dearly. So it really shouldn’t be as surprising as it was to him that a situation like this was evoking such a strong, rather emotional response from him like this.

“Kan…?” Cronus’ quiet voice asked in concern, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Kankri wrapped his arms around him. “I would care if you were gone...” He spoke in a near whisper.

Cronus felt his heart grow heavier when he realized Kankri was trembling, holding him tighter as if he was afraid to ever let go. He cursed himself for further wounding him with careless words. For once, he just wanted to stop hurting the one he cared about.

“Kan, I’m sorry… I shouldn’t’ve said that.”

It didn’t seem like words alone were enough to make Kankri feel any better or change the look in his eyes upon pulling back, his lashes wet from the tears he was desperately holding in. Cronus considered getting him a tissue from the nightstand, but he was stopped when Kankri placed his hand upon his cheek. His touch was cool against his feverish skin, a pleasant relief that sent his heart beating faster. He didn’t deserve this.

“I care about you,” Kankri told him softly, “so much…”

His mind was stalling and it was frustrating for him. He knew what he wanted to do, but he was well...nervous. This was probably the biggest risk he would take in his life, although he hoped it wasn’t so. He had carefully considered all the signs up to this point and determined the best response. Now was better than never, he told himself as he took a deep breath. He closed his eyes before he finally acted upon the gnawing feeling within. With a silent prayer, Kankri finally made the move to give Cronus a kiss.

It was invigorating to finally act the long-standing feelings which he had been suppressing, but as of late, they had come to the forefront of his mind. This was the first time he has expressed any sort of strong feelings for someone he- as he had admitted to himself -had a crush on. Although it quickly became apparent to him that he was very inept in this sort of thing, so it was better to withdraw now than to hope he would somehow get better. It was enough to convey his message, regardless.

Cronus was shocked to say the least. Never in a million years would he have thought this would happen. He would be lying if he said he didn’t ever think about this sort of thing, although it went a bit differently from what he pictured in his head. He couldn’t find his voice to speak, all he could do was stare at the other trying to understand what just happened, he realized, however, that it wasn’t helping Kankri’s nerves at all.

“Kan…” He finally managed to say before he felt his emotions get the best of him.

He did his best to swallow them back, but he knew the more he fought, the sooner they’d get to him. He put his face in his hand knowing he would lose, hiding the tears that escaped him. He wasn’t at all upset, he was just so incredibly happy right now. He had no idea that such a simple kiss could impact him so much. He didn’t think he stood a chance with Kankri, since he really didn’t swing that way and especially after he treated him like garbage. He didn’t think this hopeless, one-sided crush he had on him since forever would ever be answered. But he was reassured of his current reality when Kankri pulled him into a warm embrace.

Kankri reached out to grab a tissue off of the nightstand and offered it to Cronus to dry his face off the moment they parted. “I didn’t upset you, did I?” He inquired as the feeling that he had done so was nagging him.

“No, no, no,” Cronus insisted, “I’m not upset at all. I’m just so...happy you feel the same way.”

Kankri was satisfied to hear that his “risk” hadn’t been such a thing to begin with, it seemed. But now they both knew.

“I apologize for not being so perceptive to this kind of thing earlier,” he said. “Now wasn’t the best of times I suppose…”

“Kan, don’t worry about it,” Cronus assured him with a gentle smile, reaching out to touch his hand. “Sometimes the best times is when your feelin’s are just too much to keep inside of you.”

“Perhaps…” Kankri agreed, returning his smile.

“Sometimes you also say the wrong things when your feelin’s are too much. Like what I did to make you tear up a little,” he said. “I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am. For everythin’...”

Kankri straightened his posture in thought. “Why don’t we talk about this over some soup?” He suggested as it occurred to him that Cronus might not have eaten yet today.

Cronus gently squeezed the other’s hand, although he was pretty tired now after that rollercoaster of emotions. Nonetheless, he liked the idea of being able to be with Kankri after so long without seeing him, even if it did mean trying to tell him the truth. “That sounds amazin’, Chief…”

Initially Kankri was going to leave to make the soup, but Cronus decided that a change of scenery would probably be helpful. He tagged along behind Kankri after finding a hoodie to wear as he was still very much chilled, even when he was under his duvet. The medicine Kankri had given him earlier certainly improved how his whole body felt as he was actually able to move, especially when it came to the stairs.

The two of them didn’t really speak as they were still coming to terms with what just transpired between them. With a little help, Kankri was able to find the items he needed to start cooking with, even going as far as warming up the kettle for some tea. Cronus was perched on the barstool at the high counter across from the stove, his face resting in the palm of his hand as he watched Kankri as he read the instructions on the can of soup. He could get used to this. Although it was strange to finally know that it was an option now. There was no doubt that he was going to get used to being with him.

In the midst of monitoring the stove, Kankri had pulled out his phone to finally answer some of the messages he had received, mostly ones from his younger brothers asking where he was being that he was their primary after school transportation. Those were over an hour ago and he almost dread responding to them, but he did nonetheless, sending an apology in a group text to them, not really detailing what he was up to except he had something important to help out with. Before he knew it, the water for the tea was ready to be poured into the two awaiting mugs. He turned to inquire how Cronus liked his tea, but he found his place at the end of the bar was empty.

While Kankri was busy, Cronus snuck out to the deck, just off the kitchen, to have a quick smoke. The craving had been bothering him all day, but he was just too lethargic to leave his bed. He picked up his only pack which he kept out here instead of in his room, seeing if that would lessen his temptation, but it only proved to do the opposite. There was only one left in the carton to hold him over until he somehow gathered up the gumption to go into town and get another pack. Or, if he was brave enough, he’d pick from his dad’s stash. _If_ he was brave. He lit up his final cigarette and took a deep draw from it, satisfying the nagging beast. But it just didn’t seem as satisfying as it usually was today. Perhaps it was because he held such contempt for this habit. Or perhaps it was a different reason…

“Hey,” Kankri’s soft voice brought him out of his thoughts. He had found his hiding place, although he wasn’t really trying to hide, but he still felt sheepish being caught. “Soup’s ready.”

“Thanks Chief,” he said and glanced at his cigarette.

“No need to hurry, the tea still needs to steep,” Kankri said as he neared his side, reaching out to take his idle hand, his fingers finding their place in the spaces between his.

The chill didn’t seem to ward him off as he intended to say out here with him. Cronus took another draw from his cigarette, almost reluctantly. Kankri was used to him smoking, he’s been doing it for nearly five years now, but now he was ashamed to do it in his presence.

“Aren’t you afraid of gettin’ sick?” He asked him. “I mean, I’ve got a cold or somethin’ and you just went ahead and smooched me. Stayin’ out here won’t do you any good either.”

“Just a little. Although it’s possible I could have a sickness already,” Kankri said and gently squeezed his hand. “I just needed to see the love doctor…”

Cronus couldn’t help but to laugh a little at how cute he was when he said things like that, although his laughing ended up adding to the irritation of his lungs and had him coughing. Kankri always had a knack for breaking down the barriers he put up. He always felt at ease around him ever since they were kids and he was just so easy to talk to as he would listen to what he had to say.

“Kan,” he started and put out his cigarette as the guilt was just too much for him to continue smoking with the other by his side, “there’s somethin’ I’ve been meanin’ to tell you. Well, it’s more of an explanation really...”

“I’m all ears,” Kankri told him.

“I quit smokin’ first thing last week. Cold turkey. It seemed to be goin’ fine, but it just fell apart…” He admitted rubbing his brow, gazing at the ground over the side of the deck. “I had no idea what was gonna happen with the withdrawals and all. I couldn’t think ‘cause I was cravin’ a smoke, couldn’t eat ‘cause I felt sick, couldn’t sleep ‘cause I was just so anxious about nothin’, and it seemed like every little thing got on my nerves…” He sighed talking about it was making him feel depressed all over again.

“You did nothin’ to deserve to be bullied by me. I thought I was doin’ somethin’ to make you proud since you’ve always been there to deal with my sorry ass and put me on the right path. And how did I repay you? By makin’ stupid mistakes and takin’ my frustrations out on you…” He did feel a little better now that the truth was out, but it wasn’t enough to subdue his lingering regrets. “I did you wrong Kan and I’m sorry...I wish I could take it all back and start over.”

“Thank you for telling me,” Kankri told him, reaching out with his free hand to tuck the other’s dark hair behind his ear. “Cronus, I’m proud of you for trying to quit. It isn’t easy to put an end to a five year habit like that. Even so, everyone makes mistakes which they wish they could take back. It’s simply an inevitable part of life because no one is perfect. Now it’s just a matter of forgiving yourself and getting back on your feet.”

“I know…” Cronus muttered and glanced over at him. “But it’s not as simple as it sounds.”

“And it’s not going to be. It’s going to take time and there is no sense in rushing it or putting so much pressure on yourself,” Kankri said, rubbing his arm reassuringly. “With the proper help and guidance you’ll get there. I will always be here for you, whenever you need me.”

Cronus turned and pulled him into a warm embrace with his free arm, still holding his hand with the other. “Thanks Kan…” He was definitely feeling better than he had a few minutes ago. He wasn’t going to blow this second chance and let Kankri down again.

“It’s probably best we go inside now,” Kankri said after they parted. “The cold isn’t helping your condition.”

“I’ve already got the crud. I’m just worried about you, Chief,” Cronus said as the other lead him back into the house.

“To tell you the truth, I haven’t been sick in a very long time,” Kankri told him upon stepping in through the door. “But if I do in fact get sick, then it was well worth it.”

“Then, as your new boyfriend, I will be obligated to crash your pad and make you soup as well,” Cronus said with a wink and a matching smirk.

“So be it,” Kankri smiled, gently squeezing his hand.

\- - -

Dinner was light, consisting of bowls of soup with crackers, and tea in front of the evening television. It was the perfect way to conclude such a chaotic and emotionally erratic day as the dust had finally settled, bringing a sense of solace upon them.

Kankri was worn out after it was all said and done, but satisfied with how everything went. Braving the anxieties of the day was well worth it in the end, especially if it meant seeing the peaceful expression upon Cronus’ face right now as he had dozed off after another round of medicine to knock the cold back and allow him to rest easily. He was thankful the other was finally getting the care he deserved and very much needed in order to make a fast recovery.

The television was the only thing filling the quiet room next to the faint sound of Cronus’ snoring as Kankri checked his phone while trying to stay awake. He didn’t think he could bring himself to leave, much less brave the roads at night in this condition. While he still didn’t want to detail what he was actually doing, he texted those who were worried about him and let them know that he was going to be a little late tonight...

**Author's Note:**

> This idea has been floating around in my head for YEARS and I have finally managed to write it! (tears of relief)
> 
> Just a note: Cronus and Kankri are technically cousins through marriage (Cronus' father married Kankri's aunt).
> 
> Want more? Follow [Alternus](https://twitter.com/alternustweets) on Twitter!


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